In late July, the United Nations will host their annual youth conference in New York. Prior to this meeting, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is lobbying for “youth sexual and reproductive rights” to become a major agenda item. UNFPA is using the name Y-PEER for their teen outreach efforts. The Y-PEER website and statement make it clear that “sexual and reproductive rights” for teens should not only include all forms of birth control but also access to legal abortion. While this is an international movement, Pro-Lifers in the United States need to be aware that our federal government could indirectly be funding this program to bring abortions to minors.
When UNFPA launched Y-PEER, it started in Eastern Europe and Central Asia as a response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It quickly spread to the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and the Asian Pacific region. Today there are 48 countries that have Y-PEER affiliates. While the efforts to provide treatment to children and stop the spread of HIV/AIDS are genuinely noble, Y-PEER is also being used to further UNFPA’s population control agenda that centers on global access to birth control and abortions.
The Y-PEER in Action website includes testimonials by young adults who argue that their lives were damaged because they did not have access to “sexual and reproductive singers.”
The website promises that the fun does not end with your favorite celebrities. They also promise extras such as, “Y PEER and MTV-Staying Alive created an interactive game, ‘Me Game’, which is a kind of reality game that walks its players through a day in the life of a young person facing situations he or she needs to make decisions about.”
Although the United States is not officially associated with Y-PEER, there is reason to believe that our government could be helping fund this effort to indoctrinate the world’s youth with anti-life choices. When President Obama took office, he overturned the Bush administration’s decision to no longer fund UNFPA. President Bush was well aware of UNFPA’s anti-life positions and did not want taxpayer money funding their goals, while pro-abortion President Obama was eager to begin financially supporting them again as soon as he had the opportunity. The fact that UNFPA is the main financial support for Y-PEER means it is possible that some of the money UNFPA receives from American taxpayers could subsidize Y-PEER.
It is vital that the Pro-Life movement stay aware of UNFPA’s efforts to reach the world’s youth with their message of birth control and abortion. Y-PEER is specifically designed to capture and keep the attention of early teens, age 13 to 16. The promise of fun and being connected with their peers will be very appealing to this age group. The Pro-Life community must continue to spread the truth that underneath the smokescreen of Y-PEER is UNFPA’s real agenda.